USA > New York > The Ninth regiment, New York volunteers (Hawkins' zouaves); being a history of the regiment and veteran association from 1860 to 1900 > Part 20
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Burnside who had seen what was going on while the carriage was still some distance from the wrecked wagon began shouting at the men to cease their outrageous conduct. In fact they were so intent on the business in hand . that had it not been for this shouting he could pro- bably have driven right into the midst of the crowd before they would have noticed him.
As the raiders scattered over the fields the General at first shouted after them to come back ; but no, no! He then turned to the group of expressionless but innocent looking Zouaves standing "at attention " on the side of the road, and with a great deal of gesticulation
345
THE GOOD ZOUAVES.
and with considerable show of excitement, commanded "Go after those men and bring them back! You New York men - you Zou- aves-go after those men; arrest them ! Bring them back here!"
The President neither said or did anything to indicate that he was especially interested in the affair, he simply looked on.
Some of the boys thought the General rather overdid the thing, but they all started after the fleeing culprits with a great show of zeal and in a few minutes each one had overtaken and laid hands on a robber and brought him back to where the General was awaiting them.
Burnside berated them soundly using de- cidedly pointed and vigorous language in doing it. He was astounded he said to learn that he had such men in his command; that the army contained men who had profited .so little by the teachings of discipline and who would so openly and shamelessly disobey orders. He nearly overwhelmed, with modest confusion, the meek and diffident looking Zou- aves when he pointed to them as examples of what good soldiers were and informed the crestfallen prisoners that here were men who would never so far demean themselves and dis- grace their uniforms as to rob a poor peddler of bread just because they happened at the
346 NIVTH REGIMENT. NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
moment to feel a little hungry. He finished by ordering the captors to turn their prisoners over to the provost guard. This, like good soldiers who always obey orders, they did. But they also reasoned that the probabilities were that more important matters would soon cause the General to forget this little affair, so, when the provost officer asked for information as to what the charges against the prisoners were, they informed him that they "didn't know," that General Burnside had directed them to turn them over to the provost guard, and that they thought it was for "straggling." Then with mixed feeling of sadness and ela- tion, sadness at the loss of the " soft tack " they still longed for, and elation because of the good but mistaken opinion General Burnside had expressed in reference to their soldierly qualities, etc .; and because they had been en- abled to have such a close view and, they might say, protracted interview with the President of the nation, they betook themselves to the regimental camp to relate their adventure and embelish the same each according to his own fancy.
The various changes of camp that had been . made since the day of the battle had contin- ually removed the regiment farther away from the hospital where its wounded were.
347
VISITING THE WOUNDED.
About the time the last change of camp had taken place the wounded had also been col- lected and taken to a division hospital which had been established several miles in a direc- tion opposite to the one taken by the regiment. This made visiting the wounded a matter of considerable difficulty, both on account of time and distance, and was a serious hardship to both the wounded and those on duty. Brothers wished to see brothers, and friends and tent- mates were desirous of visiting and convers- ing with the wounded companions with whom they had marched and tented. There was no company in the regiment but had more than one set of brothers in it, and in many in- stances some of them were wounded while some escaped uninjured. In Company H, out of the three brothers Johnston, David was killed on the field, John died of his wounds in hos- pital, and Robert came out uninjured. In Company A, of the two Van Cotts and two Stages, one of each was wounded and one escaped. This was also the case with the Rassigas of Company C, and probably every company in the regiment had similar cases. It can easily be understood from these exam- ples how anxious the majority of the well men were to visit, or at least hear, regularly from the hospital.
348 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
During and immediately after the battle the wounded were gathered together for treatment at the most convenient places, which were in nearly every instance the various farmhouses on the field and in the immediate vicinity of it. Surgeon Humphreys first established his field hospital at a point near Burnside's Bridge. When later in the day the rebel batteries opened fire on the bridge, with the object of preventing or delaying the crossing of troops, it proved to be in direct range and was sub- jected to a heavy fire. A good many casualties occurred among the wounded from this cause. Humphreys sent them away as quickly as he could, and the first suitable placed reached was Miller's house. This was taken possession of and was soon filled with men having wounds of all kinds and degrees. Not only the dwell- ing but all the outhouses, sheds and other shelters were filled, while the orchard, door- yard and barnyard were crowded with them, both Union and Confederate. These men out- side were obliged to lie on the ground with absolutely no protection of any kind. Most of them without even blankets under them, and no roof save the blue sky over any of them. They, however, appeared to do better; their progress toward convalescence was more rapid, and there were fewer deaths among them (other
349
THE LONG TRAMP TO THE HOSPITAL.
things being equal) than among those in the house. Surgeon Humphreys was so impressed with this fact that he seriously contemplated removing all his wounded to the open air.
In the early part of October tents were erected at a placed called Locust Spring and a division hospital established there. The wounded from Miller's house and grounds were transferred to the new location. Not- withstanding the distance between the regi- ment and this hospital the men still continued to get passes from camp and take the long tramp to visit their suffering comrades. None of the boys had anything to bring, and had no way of procuring anything that would add to the comfort of the patients. All they had to offer was sympathy and cheering words. It was affecting and sometimes a little comical to observe the means taken by some of the vis- itors to cheer up the others. Like Traddles drawing skeletons for David Copperfield, to cheer him up when he learned of his mother's death.
Lieutenant-Colonel Kimball marched the reg- imental band all the way from camp one Sun- day to play for the sick boys. They gave their best selections of marching tunes and other music and devoted several hours to alternately playing and visiting from bed to bed, or to be
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350 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
more correct, from man to man, as there were no beds, all the men lying on the ground or on such makeshift protection from direct contact with mother earth as the soldier nurses could improvise out of the materials within reach.
Lieutenant-Colonel Kimball and several com- missioned officers, together with a number of enlisted men, accompanied the band on this occasion. Their presence had a good effect on the wounded boys, who kept them busy an- swering questions about the regiment. The regiment appeared to be uppermost in the thoughts of each of them. They wanted to know how it looked on parade; what number of men were present for duty; what kind of a camp they had; what Burnside and the other generals had said in their reports in relation to the charge of the regiment in the battle, and a hundred similar questions. It was always the regiment : its welfare, its esprit de corps and its standing and reputation in the corps and in the army.
About this time Surgeon Humphreys was ordered on duty with the troops to act as divis- ion surgeon. While the boys were pleased to hear of his advance in rank and gratified that his worth as a man, and his professional skill as a surgeon were recognized and rewarded by the military authorities, still they did not like
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351
CROSSING ELK RIDGE.
to see him go. Each man in the regiment re- posed the utmost confidence in his skill and judgment, and the wounded had perfect faith in his ability to "pull them through." Therefore, the knowledge that he was ordered away caused considerable uneasiness among them.
He was succeeded by Dr. Squires, Chief Sur- geon of the 89th New York, a regiment of their own brigade. He proved to be a sympathetic man, a good surgeon and an excellent executive officer.
On October 7th the regiment again broke camp, crossed the mountain called Elk Ridge, and went into camp in Pleasant Valley. The climb over the mountain was an arduous one and somewhat trying on the men, as they were in heavy marching order and the way was rough and steep. They were repaid, however, in a measure, by the view, which, broadening and changing as they ascended, opened to them a more beautiful and varied panorama than it had been the fortune of many of these city-bred boys to have viewed before. The whole country lay spread below them like a picture, the undula- tions softened and the landscape beautified by distance. The villages of Sharpesburg, Kee- dysville and Boonsboro appeared like collec- tions of toy houses and churches, while the scattered farmhouses, each nestling beside its
332 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
grove or orchard, assisted in completing a picture of a peaceful pastoral scene which was gratifying to the eye of these men so far sepa- rated from home and peace. It was hard to realize that only a few days since nearly two hundred thousand men had striven here in mortal combat.
The new camp now occupied was found to be very favorably . located and excellent in almost every respect. It was situated on the main road and had good terminal facilities. A fine stream of water flowed conveniently near, always a welcome as well as a necessary ad- junct to a camp. The weather was now getting quite cold, especially at night, and shelter tents were the only protection the men had. Rations were still deplorably insufficient, causing much inconvenience and some suffering.
The regiment remained in camp in Pleasant Valley until the 28th of the month. In the meantime Major Jardine had bech relieved from the command of the 89th New York, to which he had been assigned at the opening of the campaign, and had returned to duty with the regiment. Lieutenant Bartholemew, of Com - pany B, had, since the battle, been appointed adjutant. The regular everyday routine of camp life, drills, guard-mounts, and parades was being followed when, on the 28th of Oc-
333
AGAIN ON THE MARCH.
tober, the "general " was again sounded, and tents were struck and the regiment started on the march after Lee and the army of Northern Virginia, which ended just one month later at the old campground of the preceding summer, opposite the city of Fredricksburg, Va.
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CHAPTER XII.
CLOTHING AND CAMP EQUIPPAGE LEFT AT MERIDIAN HILL - CLEANLINESS - KNAPSACKS RECOVERED - KNAPSACK DRILL - HUNGER, COLD AND MARCHING - THREE COLUMNS ABREAST - COMPANY G AS HEADQUARTER'S GUARD - COMPANY K JOINS GEN- ERAL KAUTZ-GENERAL BURNSIDE RELIEVES GEN- ERAL MCCLELLAN OF THE COMMAND OF THE ARMY - SCATTERING A QUARTERMASTER'S TRAIN - GOOD ARTILLERY SHOOTING - THANKSGIVING DAY AT FALMOUTH-BATTLE OF FREDRICKSBURG-STRAGG- LERS - WINTER QUARTERS IN VIRGINIA -- ON TO FORTRESS MONROE.
EVER since the opening of the campaign on September 7th, all the knapsacks belong- ing to the regiment, together with the company property, had lain piled together under the trees of Meridian Hill, covered with tarpaulins, unguarded and at the mercy of those "whom it might concern." Consequently neither offi- cers nor men had opportunity to change under- clothing. Each man's wardrobe consisted of just what he stood in. The only article of extra raiment provided was for the feet and nearly every man carried an extra pair of socks in his
333
LAUNDRY WORK UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
blanket roll. Some men were naturally im- provident and also inclined to be careless of personal cleanliness. These soon learned from experience on the long marches how necessary for their comfort was a due regard for the feet and that clean socks were necessary and a sim- ple expedient to that end. Lieutenant-Colonel Kimball had steadily and persistently insisted on the importance of this sort of cleanliness. As a result of these continual reminders all the men soon acquired a habit of exchanging soiled for clean socks whenever such a fortunate combination as a roadside halt and a conve- nient stream happened to favor them. Many a fist fight was caused by the failure of one man to properly respect the rights of another in this connection. There were those who thought- lessly and perhaps selfishly squatted down on the bank of the brook at times and began wash- ing the socks in which they had marched all day, within a foot or two of the spot where a comrade was industriously filling the canteens of his squad with drinking water. It was the general rule under such conditions to follow the practice of John Burns, of Gettysburg, "Be slow to argue but quick to act."
The task of providing other articles of clean apparel was a more difficult one. The problem of clean shirts, for instance, was solved as fol-
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386 NINTH REGIMMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
lows: The shirt was removed during a tempo- rary halt near a stream and washed. As the halt was seldom or never of sufficient length to permit the drying of the garment, it was spread over the naked shoulders of the owner and carried thus, he meanwhile marching along amid clouds of dust with the column. This cleansing process was, therefore, often ques- tionable and always comparative. It was com- forting to the men, however, for it inspired a belief that the garment was thereby rendered less inviting as a retreat for certain unwelcome and generally unmentionable invaders of the army blue.
At the opening of the campaign the quarter- master's department had taken charge of the discarded knapsacks, and after the battle of Antietam had been fought and the campaign ended by the escape of Lee across the Potomac, they had been sent forward in pursuit of the army in an effort to deliver them to the various commands to which they belonged.
When it became known that they had been so forwarded and that they were then some- where west of South Mountain, in the hands of those who were trying to find the owners, de- tails were sent out with instructions to find those belonging to the Ninth and bring them into camp. The first detail sent out was un-
357
KNAPSACK DRILLS.
successful. The next, however, was more fortunate and on the 8th of the month they returned with the long lost property. On the day following amid much rejoicing, the knap- sacks were distributed to the men. They were at once overhauled for changes of clothing and incidentally to ascertain how much property each unfortunate had been despoiled of by the quartermaster's men.
The receipt of the knapsacks very soon proved to be anything but an unmixed blessing. Knapsack drills began to be very much in vogue much to the disgust of the men, who were frequently compelled to take long practice marches weighed down with all their earthly possessions. This was probably done for the purpose of getting them accustomed to moving in heavy marching order.
The regular daily routine now was company drill in the mornings, knapsack drill in the afternoons, and always dress parade in the evenings.
The weather was now becoming very unset- tled. There were a good many rainy days and several times falls of snow. Some of the latter might fairly be said to have attained the dignity of storms.
The only means which the men of the regiment had for protection against the inclemency of the
338 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
weather was the regular shelter-tent; a piece of unbleached muslin two and a half yards long and a yard wide. A row of buttons along one side and end, and a row of button holes on the opposite ones, was the means by which two or more of them could be joined together for the purpose of making a tent or shelter of the desired size. These were utilized in every pos- sible way in order to provide the best protection possible against the storms of the season.
The regiment continued an uncomfortable, hand-to-mouth existence, being short of rations nearly all the time, until the 28th of the month when, having received instructions to prepare for the event, the " general " was sounded, tents struck and a start made on the long and toil- some march through Virginia which ended only when it arrived at Falmouth Station on the opposite side of the river from Fredricksburg.
During the greater part of this march-where conditions made it possible to do so-the army was moved in three columns, marching as nearly abreast of each other as was practicable. One of the columns occupied the road, while the others marched on either side of the road in the fields, keeping as near together as the conformation of the ground would permit. This order of march was changed each day by the column which had enjoyed the use of the
359
MARCHING IN THREE COLUMNS.
road the day before taking the fields, while the - others occupied the road alternately.
The advantages gained by this system were many. Under it the army moved much more rapidly than it could have done in the single column formation. The various divisions and brigades were enabled to get out of camp in the morning at nearly the same time. It did away with the long tiresome waits which the center and left were compelled to endure in the mornings before the right of the line could get out of their way. It was equally advan- tageous at night. All the troops were able to bring their day's march to an end nearer together. The men of the center and rear were no longer obliged to stumble along hour after hour in the dark over bad roads, in order to reach camp where the troops on the right of the column had probably been since the afternoon or early evening.
So far as the question of discomforts, or the opposite, was concerned, this march through Virginia was just the reverse of the one through Maryland. Then the weather was generally pleasant and the roads were always good. Now, the season being well advanced, the weather was very often stormy and the roads were always wretched.
The enemy in front was always on the alert
360 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
and vigorously disputed the advance of the army by every means at his command. The troops were marched and countermarched con- tinously, and, in the opinion of the wearied men, without plan or reason, as they could not un- derstand why they should be repeatedly hurried back and forth over roads they had just traveled. Reveille was sounded at any un- reasonable hour in the morning-if, indeed, there had been any bivouac at all. Marching hither and thither, sometimes on the roads and sometimes across the fields in line of battle ; skirmishing with the enemy or standing in line for hours at a time, expecting momentarily to be ordered into action; rain decended one day and snow the next; little to eat at any time and on many days nothing; wading ice-cold streams and plodding through mud, but always gaining something from the enemy and constantly pushing farther into the Con- federacy. In this way, after having crossed the Potomac at Berlin, they successively passed through Wheatland, Union, Upperville, Rectortown and Gascons Mills, which latter place was reached on the 7th of November.
On the 31st of October, Company G of the regiment, (Captain Childs) had been detailed as headquarter's guard for General Burnside. While the men were classed as being on the
361
COMPANY G AT HEADQUARTERS.
provost guard of the army, as a matter of fact, -
they took no orders from anybody except the commanding general. The detail was con- sidered a great honor and a desirable one in every way. The company was relieved from the harrassing march and countermarch which was a necessity with the other troops. They were also in a position to have their requisi- tions for necessaries promptly honored, especi- ally those for rations. The men were con- sidered, in the vernacular of the camp as having a "soft thing," and were more or less envied by their less fortunate comrades. They con- tinued to act as headquarters guard until General Burnside was relieved of the command of the army.
On November 3rd, Company K was ordered from the position which it had occupied on Bolivar Heights and sent to join General Kautz, who was about starting on an extended reconnoisance into the Shenandoah Valley It remained as part of his command until the regiment arrived at Fredricksburg.
While the Ninth was in the vicinity of Gas- cons Mills, the ground was covered with snow. This added very much to the discomfort of the soldiers. They were obliged to remove it in some way, either with hands, feet or whatever could be found and utilized for the
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362 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
purpose, to scrape it off the places where their tents were to be pitched, before they could set them up and lie down to sleep.
On the 8th of November, General McClellan was relieved from command of the army, being superseded by General Burnside.
There was great rejoicing among the men of the 9th corps when this change of com- manders became known.
Among the soldiers generally, there was a spe- cies of blind, bigoted loyalty to their respective commanders, as well as a sincere affection for them. There is very little doubt that almost every man in the army honestly and firmly believed that his own corps commander was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, military hero of the times. None of them would admit that when it came to planning battles or move- ments, or displaying skill in executing them, to say nothing about his bravery on the field, that there could be any question as to his superior ability when compared with any other corps commander in the army. This feeling, or at least the expression of it, was almost universal throughout the army. There- fore, there was rejoicing in the 9th corps when Burnside, its original, and up to that time, only commander was chosen as the head of the army.
363
BURNSIDE SUPERSEDES MCCLELLAN.
Ever since the battle of Antietam there had been (in that corps, at least) a feeling of dis- satisfaction, and, it might almost be said, of dis- trust, of McClellan's honesty of purpose. The impression was gaining strength, gradually but surely, that it was not his intention nor wish to put down the rebellion by force of arms. The responsibility for the piecemeal and disjointed way in which the battle of Antietam had been fought, and especially the childish manner in which the attack by the left wing had been managed, was all-whether rightly or wrongly- charged against him. No one would admit that his own corps commander might pos- sibly have been incompetent or indifferent, or both, and was largely or perhaps entirely to blame for the failure to destroy the rebel army. The men knew fairly well what condition their army had been in on that night. They remem- bered that there was a whole corps which had not been engaged at all during the battle, and that notwithstanding this, Lee, with his trains and impedimenta, was permitted to cross the Potomac unmolested. Consequently, there were no regrets-on that part of the line, at least-when Mcclellan was superseded, while the fact that Burnside became his successor was hailed by the men of the corps with great satisfaction.
364 NINTH REGIMMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
The army remained in this vicinity, with headquarters at Warrenton, for several days. There was considerable moving of troops hither and thither, however, as there was more or less skirmishing and cannonading going on all the while between the Union advance and the rear guard of the enemy, as well as on the right flank of the army.
On the evening of the roth it seemed that some movement of more than ordinary sig- nificance was abont being executed, as the Ninth was moved forward about two miles, and formed in line of battle at the base of a hill. It remained in that position shivering and miserable all night. Hour after hour passed, the men expecting momentarily to be either attacked or to attack. No fires were permitted, as they would have exposed the exact position to the enemy. Everybody in the regiment ex- perienced a great sense of relief when after a night of great discomfort morning at last broke, and no enemy appeared, they probably hav- ing fallen back during the night. The regi- ment was then withdrawn and returned to its former position.
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